Effects of N-methyl-ß-carboline-3-carboxamide on agonistic behaviour in male mice. In this study, we examined the effects of acute administration of N-methyl-ß-carboline-3-carboxamide (FG 7142;1-20 mg/kg, ip), an inverse partial agonist at GABAA/BDZ/Cl- complex, on the agonistic behaviour elicited by isolation in male mice. Half of the mice were housed and employed as experimental or control animals; the remainder were used as «standard» opponents and were temporally rendered anosmic by zinc sulphate. Individually housed mice were exposed to anosmic «standard opponents» in a neutral area 30 minutes after the drug administration. FG 7142 exhibited an ethopharmacological profile characterized by a significant reduction of the time spent in offensive behaviours (15 and 20 mg/kg) without affecting immobility, accompanied by a marked increase of defensive/submisive behaviours (10-20 mg/kg), reflecting likely an anxiogenic activity of the drug.